Manry Family

For those of you who know me, or have been to my home in Rochester Hills, Michigan, you know that some time ago I took a liking to roosters. I’m not sure as to why I began decorating with these feathered creatures, except that it complimented my décor, which tended toward “French Country” (whatever that is!). In time, I had colorful roosters, a black metal rooster, a wood rooster and a few roosters that I only brought out during Autumn. I had roosters in my kitchen, roosters stitched on rugs, roosters painted on plates, and my two favorite roosters were perched in my laundry room. But never have I ever had a rooster in my car…that is until today.

This morning our family drove to Bugaya Village. Bugaya is a special village for Mark, Luke and I, because we had the honor to bond with them while on our survey trip in May. Bonding is the term we use to refer to spending the night in a village and getting to know the people and their way of life. The people we stayed with are now people we call our friends. These new friends of ours requested that they be the village to give us our Soga names. We’ve been excited about this because we knew that they were excited and that they would really consider special names for us. So after 80 kilometers of driving on rough roads, we were greeted by a crowd of people eager to worship, fellowship, encourage and simply have Bazungu (white people) there! Spencer and Emily Bogle joined us for this “Super Sunday” which included village churches from surrounding areas. The service was a typical church service here in Busoga which involved almost four hours of introductions, loud, energetic singing and clapping, several speakers, and a time of communion. We even had the pleasure of hearing Spencer preach in Lusoga today! Needless to say, the children were antsy, and our hunger was distracting, but we still enjoyed worshipping with these brothers and sisters in Christ.

After the service, Ronald and his Uncle Patrick shared the names the village had chosen for each of us.  I was given the name Biryeri (pronounced bidh-ee-erdh-ee) which means, “Everything with God.” 

After a welcomed lunch of goat meat, sweet potatoes, rice and soup, we started the process of leaving – for leaving a village, indeed, is a process. In addition to greeting and shaking hands with nearly everyone there, we were also confronted with last minute requests for visiting other villages, financial aid, and transportation back to Jinja. By the time we were ready to pull out of the village we had eight people in the vehicle (nine if we consider the baby in a nine-month-pregnant lady and her luggage, which is just short of the record thirteen people); thatch, coal, sweet potatoes, and cassava root strapped to our luggage rack; two pineapples that were given to us as gifts, and sixty pineapple suckers piled in the back for us to plant in our compound. And if I already didn’t think that was enough, I turned around and saw a live rooster lying on the floor at the feet of the Ugandans traveling with us. “There’s a rooster in my car!” I proclaimed. Tom, our Ugandan friend and worker, was totally un-phased that I thought the rooster an unusual passenger. He explained that he wanted to take it back to Jinja as a gift to his uncle. So off we went with our new names, and our full load back down the road that takes us to Jinja, with me having a better understanding as to why, over the past few weeks, people have been telling me and Mark, “Thank you for buying a car.”

Comments (11)

p90x said:

p90x I totally love this article. I think you could write some other things to make your blog more complete.For example? ed hardy clothing

July 08, 2010 | url

craig said:

2nd night of a rooster in my speakers~ ok, this is freaking me out: I just heard for the second time in three days a rooster crowing for about 2 mins - coming from my speakers of my computer! THis time I unhooked the speaker jack plug and the sound was still coming out every few seconds. My speakers at that point did not have anything feeding them! and no alarm (just some Boston Acoustics I have had for years)Then it finally stopped. Anyone have any idea what the hell is going on? I am NOT making this up. I just dropped in, looking around the web seeing if anyone else has had this happen with a phantom loud rooster. I thought I was hallucianting or something the other night at 3am when it first happened, but this time I am sitting here wide awake at midnight. Holy crap!

June 12, 2010

Guest said:

... Mark and Lori, Your mom just sent me your website. We will be keeping up with you. May God rickly bless your work in Jinja. If you see Nick and Renee Fouts while in Africa, tell them hello for us. They are close to you all. I can't believe how the children have grown. Judy Miller

January 22, 2006

Guest said:

Shannon Life as you can magine has been a little crazy since the baby...and therefore have not had a chance to get here and catch up with you. Glad to hear you are adjusting and making fun memories...SO many more to come and I can't wait to read about them. I can relate to a rooter in the car..although ours was a chicken which seemed at any moment it was going to lay an egg the way it was carrying on through the trip. Thinking of you all and lifting you in prayer. xo Shan

January 01, 2006

Guest said:

Amy Ok... so I laughed out loud when I read this! Not so much because of the rooster being in the car with you but because I was remembering you telling me the story about the squirrel in your van last summer. You could hardly even speak the words cuz we were laughing so hard! What is it with you and the wildlife??? -Aim

December 27, 2005

Guest said:

love the stories WE love reading the stories and seeing the videos. Seeing the video of Moses washing the children's hands brought back so many memories. I am so thankful for what you are doing and how you are contributing in Busoga! Love, Sara

December 21, 2005

Guest said:

Mom Lori, what a story! That trip back was "so you"! I could picture you doing it and not picture you doing it -- all at one time. Wish you had a video of it. Love your new name, but I think I will still call you Lori, which has a lot of meanings for me. God bless all your adventures!

December 21, 2005

Guest said:

Tessa Hey! Great story... anything having a squirrel in your car at midnight?? hehee... such a fun memory, and the first thing i though of when i saw the title! love you much!!!

December 21, 2005

Guest said:

Rutha You are great at putting a feeling into a story. I felt like I was there pressed between cargo and bodies trying to find the right position that would keep me from falling into someone's lap as we bump over rocks and such. Thanks for sharing these everyday moments that let us all really feel a part of your lives and adventures. I miss you.

December 20, 2005

Guest said:

ERIC That was a great journal entry! I hope your future pineapple harvest is a whopper. As the bonding becomes more intense, perhaps you will be on the receiving end of a rooster gift! Good thing Luke is experienced with harvesting chickens! You're deeply missed.

December 19, 2005

Guest said:

Love to you It sounds like you might have to exercise the famous, "no room" phrase, on occasion! How abundantly blessed the Ugandan people are to have you! It was so precious to read all of yours and Mark's journals. I am aching to hug you, but know that I am hugging you in my heart and praying like mad for you! Staying cozily shadowed by God's protective wing doesn't mean our lives wont be an action/adventure does it? I will be praying that Christmas will be dearer than you can imagine. MUCH love, Robin Thrift

December 19, 2005

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